


Expressing Yourself

by XiaRobotto



Category: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Dance, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cheating, Love Triangles, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-30
Updated: 2017-01-22
Packaged: 2018-04-28 22:28:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5107943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XiaRobotto/pseuds/XiaRobotto
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dreaming of becoming a professional ballet dancer, Ventus Strife, 16, integrates Radiant Garden's prestigious Royal Dance School. Between competition, advanced classes and hard training, there is little time for feelings... especially when you accidentally get two brothers to fight over you.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Apprehension

**Author's Note:**

> Hello ! I'm back for a new fanfiction, about Kingdom Hearts this time :) TerraVen is my favourite ship, so writing about it was only natural. As for Zack x Ventus... don't ask me what I was thinking when I included it ! (I guess Zack just really reminds me of Terra :p)  
> You can check out the characters' family tree here, for better understanding: http://hpics.li/3e1fa5f (Tell me if there's any problem with the link !)  
> Hope you'll like it, and if you did, don't forget to comment or leave kudos, it makes my day~

"I passed !"

The ripped envelope in his hand, Ventus looked up at his father and his two brothers with sparkling eyes, a huge smile stretching across his face.

"What does it say, Ven ?", the younger, Sora, asked immediatly, with an excited expression.

" _'Mr. STRIFE Ventus, We are pleased to inform you that, after the auditions held two months ago, you have been selected to be a part of the Radiant Garden Royal Dance School. We have spotted in you talent and a great potential, and will welcome you on the 1st of September 2015. The table for the 2015 fees is included in th-_ "

"I'm so proud of you," their father Cloud cut off while suddenly giving Ventus a hug. Roxas and Sora joined, and it ended up being a big family hug around an embarrassed but proud Ventus.

He had always been an artistic person: singing, sketching, writing... all of these things made him feel alive. But out of all the things he did, dance was what thrilled him the most. At the age of 5, he had started to take ballet and contemporary lessons, and had revealed himself to have a huge talent. All of his life revolved around dance: his schedule, the way he ate, so much that he had wanted to become professional. And there he was, entering one of the best dance schools he knew, the Royal school to be precise. It was something really intimidating to him: he didn't consider himself as one of the best dancers, though his family kept saying he was. But that was just because they were his family, right ? Especially with a protective father like Cloud Strife, who hid his kind nature behind a poker face. He was the single guardian of three brothers including twins, but he still did everything for their comfort and happiness. Sora, the younger, was in 10th grade at Destiny High School, where Roxas was focusing his 11th grade on mathematics. And now, his twin Ventus was going to specialize into dance.

He had found an apartment in case he passed the auditions, so he would come home on weekends: he didn’t live that far from the school, but this would be more convenient for him, considering that he was going to work from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, then train until 7:00 pm… everyday. This would be a huge change, for both him and his family, and despite how excited he felt… something weighted on his mind and heart. What if he didn’t succeed ? What if he didn’t have enough talent or skills and he deceived his father ? The pressure was huge, and it scared him deeply... but he was going to do his best.

So a few weeks passed, and finally, it was the 1st of September. Ventus had slept in his own apartment, after an afternoon of trying to convince his brothers that he wasn't gone forever. The teen woke up with a horrible feeling in his stomach, and hardly ate anything- that was how nervous he felt. He prepared his bag, then left for school, which was only a few minutes away. Of course, Ventus had already seen the building... but knowing that he was now a part of it, he saw it in a whole new way. As it was supposed to contain both high school and University students, it was much more intimidating now, so huge and complex. How could anyone find their way in this maze ? He would have to find out if he didn't want to be late. In the hall was a big corkboard with the different classes and rooms on it. Ventus awkwardly made his way into the crowd, bumping into a few persons, and trying to find his name. After at least 5 minutes of nervous thinking ("ohmygod what if they sent me a letter but it was an error !!"), he spotted his name. Out of the entire class, he knew only one person- and that was better than nothing !-, a friend of Sora named Kairi. He had already talked to her and appreciated her, so at least he wasn't alone. He also looked for people he knew in his optional contemporary class, where all grades were mixed, but he didn't find anyone. He was in class 11-A, and his room was the Studio Star- this name made Ventus both proud and nervous. Well now he just needed to get there... except he had no idea about where it was. He bit his lip a good hundred times trying to find a map in the hall... but he didn't. The bell was about to ring and he was already guaranteed to be late... awesome.

"Do you need help ?" Ventus doubted it was adressed to him, but he still turned around. Behind him stood a tall and lean young man with dark brown hair, who was smiling softly at him. "M-me ?" Ventus answered, raising an eyebrow. "Yes, you." The stranger let out a quiet laugh as he saw Ventus sigh in relief. "Yeah, I actually really, really need help," Ventus said awkwardly, "Um... could you help me find my room ?" As the other teen gave a quick nod, Ventus continued. "Thank you so much... I'm in the 'Studio Star' or something." When the other student widened his eyes, Ventus thought he couldn't help him... But then his smile widened. "Well, first of all, congratulations and yes, I can definetly lead you there."

On the way, Ventus learnt that the guy's name was Zack Fair, that he was in third year of University, and that he was in the ballet section, just like him. He had been part of the same class as Ventus, which was considered to be the best ballet class- if not best class- of the school, and his brother was in the contemporary section, taking the same optional class as Ventus. And thanks to him, Ventus wasn't late for class- he also was careful to remember the path they took to the studios for next time.

"Here we are," Zack said as they stopped in front of a door. "If you need anymore help..." The older teen took out a scrap of paper and a pen, and quickly scribbled his number before handing it to Ventus. Said student thanked him awkwardly; to be honest, he was not often given a number, especially not handsome university guys, and even though Zack was probably far from being interested in him, Ventus couldn't help but feel his self-esteem rise a little. They waved to each other as a goodbye, then Ventus opened the door to the studio, which was bigger than expected.

A few people were there, but obviously not everyone. Ventus spotted a few boys, but there were mainly girls, and little of them raised their heads to look at the newcomer. Ventus smiled at them nervously and nodded as a greeting- and a few of them nodded in return- but Kairi obviously wasn't here for the moment. The other students were all changed into dance clothes, and in the center of the room stood a blond woman with a high bun and a bright smile on her face, probably the teacher. She happily greeted Ventus and showed him the way to the locker room. There, he quickly changed into his training clothes, his heart beating fast with excitement and fear. Despite his introverted nature, he did hope he would quickly make friends... and maybe even keep contact with Zack. After putting his clothes into a sport bag given to him by the school, he made his way to the rest of the class.

His new life was beginning right now.


	2. Deception

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you're spending the worst week of your life, having someone to cheer you up is important...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter !! Ventus being a crybaby is so cute... and who doesn't like a highly expected romance ? (okay, lots of people hate cheesy romance stories, but they're still cute, right ? Right ?)  
> Don't worry, in the next chapter, Ventus will be back to his own self. He's just having trouble getting used to his new school, y'know ?  
> Oh, and also... Cendrillon = Cinderella. I really want to introduce French culture in this fiction, like the vocabulary of dance for example... mm... what if the Strife family was French ? ;)  
> Anyways, have fun reading and see you next time ! And don't forget to comment or leave kudos if you liked it~

The first week was the worst.  
Lessons were hard, harder than they were at Destiny High School. Ventus was an average, if not good student, but there was a huge difference between then and now. As for the dance classes, he came home from them exhausted, and cried to let out the pressure that both teacher and students put on him. He had no appetite, felt a knot in his stomach when he changed in his training clothes, and did his best to not feel humiliated when his teacher corrected one of his moves in front of the whole class. And to top it all off, the contemporary class he was impatiently waiting for was cancelled that week.  
The only positive thing was that he had made a few friends: there was Kairi, of course, and some other people who, like Ventus, couldn't really get used to the competitive tension that hovered over the class like heavy clouds.

So Ventus came home on the first Friday frustrated and in a bad mood.  
He opened the door of the little house, and with a loud sigh, dropped- or rather threw- his bag on the floor. Immediatly, he heard a rush of footsteps down the stairs, and Sora, ecstatic as usual, welcomed him with a tight hug.

"So how did it go ? Are your teachers nice ? And your classmates ? Did you make frien-"  
Ven was slightly shocked by the sudden amount of questions from his brother, but honestly, he wasn't in the mood for answering them. He just wanted to lock himself in his room and have nobody interrupting him. So he cut him off grumpily.  
"It was horrible, Sora. Now get off."

The brown-haired teen, not used to his brother pushing him away so coldly, found nothing to answer, and only widened his eyes while pulling away. Ventus took advantage of the moment to grab his bag and run upstairs- or rather, bump into his father in the process.

"I think you forgot the 'Good evening'," Cloud stated severely.  
At that, Ven looked down at his feet, muttering an ashamed 'Hi Dad'. By then, Roxas had walked down the stairs and was looking at the scene, concerned. There was an awfully long and tense silence.  
Ventus suddenly burst out in tears. He wrapped- or threw- his arms around Cloud, whining like a baby.  
"It's horrible dad everyone hates each other and the teachers are never happy and the classes are so hard and I'm going to fail all m-" Ventus paused to catch his breath. "-my classes and I really suck at dancing compared to the others !!" With that, he sobbed loudly and buried his face in his father's chest, who hugged him back and stroked his hair, slightly rolling his eyes at his son's absurd words.

"Ven, what are you saying ? You're a good student and a talented dancer. Entering a new school can be hard to get used to, but I'm sure next week you'll be beaming as usual."

Ventus nodded slightly, and after a while, pulled away and wiped his eyes. "Thanks Dad," he said with a small smile, and Cloud returned it with an affectionate pat on his head. From the corner of his eyes, Ventus saw Roxas and Sora smile at him, and he hugged them both, especially Sora to excuse himself.

"Well, now that everyone's here, I need help to prepare dinner," stated Cloud with a small smile. At that, the three teenagers turned towards him and nodded, bright smiles on their faces.  
That was why Ventus loved his family. They were always helping each other no matter what happened, and in a few minutes, they were all back to their peaceful routine.

That evening, after a copious dinner (Sora had insisted to cook waaaay more than needed) and half a tub of sea-salt icecream to drown his blues in, Ventus took a bath to relax, then let himself fall on his bed. During the week, he had sent a text to Zack to thank him for the help, but hadn't gotten a reply yet. So as he was watching a random video on his phone, feeling it vibrate made him jump slightly. Seeing who was the sender, he hurried to read the text.

'No problem, Ventus. I hope your first week in the school wasn't too hard, I remember mine was when I was your age... (I must sound like an old man haha)'  
Well at least he could relate to the hell Ventus had been through during a week. The teen waited a few minutes before replying; he didn't want Zack to think that he had been waiting for that text impatiently... even though he had.

'It was probably the worst week of my life so far, but I'm fine. And you're not THAT old ! :') (by the way, just call me Ven !)'

'Still 5 years older than you though ;) (Ven ? That sounds cute)'  
Ow. Ventus had forgotten this small detail. But wait, had Zack just said his nickname was cute ? If he was in a fanfiction, they would be together in the next chapter or so... Wait, what ? Ventus quickly shook the thought away.

'True. Well I hope in 5 years I'll be as cool as you :p '  
Okay, from what he'd heard so far, Zack actually was really cool. But ugh, what was he thinking...

'You're already pretty cool, at least that's what I heard from Cendrillon. She said you had talent, and to be honest, I'd love to see you dance.'  
Cendrillon was the dance teacher of the Star class, to which both Zack and Ventus belonged. And she had said he had talent ? To one of, according to a lot of people, the best dancers in the section ? And to top it all off, Zack wanted to see him dance ?! Ven dropped his phone in shock. What could he answer to that ? It would be rude to refuse, but at the same time, he didn't want Zack to change his mind after seeing his very average dancing skills. After long minutes of thinking, he finally decided to reply.

'I'm not that good, but why not ? I have training every afternoon.'

'I actually wanted to see you alone. I'll let you join in one of my individual classes, sounds good ?'  
Wow. Zack wanted to see him dance alone. He would feel exposed, be way too nervous, mess up all of his moves and appear as ridiculous in front of both his teacher and a potential friend. So many things could go wrong. He shouldn't accept.  
But like a fool, he pressed send.

'Sounds good !'


	3. Expectation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having a date planned and meeting someone else in between is not the best thing to do. Oh well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi !  
> Okay, chapter 3 is kinda late. Actually really late, but I was very busy. The plot is starting to build up, and I'm really liking it so far... Hope you will too !  
> Who wouldn't love to have a dance teacher like this one ? She would be so funny... :')  
> Have fun reading and see you next time, and hopefully soon !

As Ventus arrived in class the second Monday, he had a completely different attitude. His usual quiet self-confidence was back and to be honest, it was mainly due to the fact that he couldn’t wait to have his class with Zack on Saturday afternoon. It still felt kind of surreal to him, like a dream that he didn’t want to wake up from. Still, the fact that Zack was 5 years older than him made him wonder about what he should and shouldn’t do. He doubted anything would actually happen, but what if ...?  
Well, he better stop thinking about that now, because otherwise he would fail his grade in math before he could actually process anything!

So, after a day of what you could call ‘traditional’ classes, it was finally time for practice. Ventus was way more relaxed than the previous week, though of course he still felt slightly nervous about not being at the same level as his classmates. While on the way to the studio, which he now vaguely remembered, he had the occasion to speak to Kairi about anything and everything. She too had a brother, Axel, and him too was in the Dance School, in the contemporary section to be exact. Ventus had already heard of this guy; he was known for his, well… explosive personality. The exact opposite from his calm and serene sister, in fact.  
The class went by pretty fast and without any major awkward incident. The exercises were tough, but fun once you had warmed up. To the surprise of the class, since it was only the second week, the teacher told them about the annual Gala, the end-of-year event where every student of all dance types would present a group or even individual performance, though the latter was something super rare for first-years. The Gala was an opportunity for students of higher grades to get noticed by dance companies, and for the others a chance to gain a reputation, which sounded to Ventus slightly unfair. But well, that was something to get used to in private schools full of overly talented students... The arrival of these news triggered a wave of whispers in the class. Some were excited to show off their skills, as they were almost assured to get a performance in the Gala, and some were hoping to get better to at least have a chance. But in any case, it shot another dose of competition between the classmates.  
To be honest, Ventus didn't really think he would get a performance. And even so, it would be terrifying to dance alone in front of hundreds of other dancers for the first time. It was enough for him to stay in the group dance and stick with the others- at least nobody saw when you made a mistake.  
Ventus came home on that thought, happy to have survived another day of school, but also tired. He took a quick shower, ate a small bowl of salad then collapsed in this bed. He still had to get used to his new intense lifestyle. Besides, he needed to get rest to not look too sleepy in front of Zack on Saturday.  
Speaking of Zack, he sometimes passed by him in the corridors, and the young man always addressed him a smile so sweet that Ventus could practically feel himself melt under those dark blue eyes. When he wasn't too startled, he returned the smile as less awkwardly as he could manage, then cursed to himself because oh my god, he must've looked so stupid!! But well. Zack didn't really seem to care.

The week was pretty much event-less. Ventus counted the days before Saturday, impatient to see Zack again in person instead of speaking by text. What he was trying to do exactly was a good question, but all he could guiltily admit was that this University student couldn't get out of his head. Which was stupid, as he knew almost nothing about him and was just assuming that he was the nicest person on Earth. Aaand there he went again thinking of Zack, Zack, always Zack. He definitively needed to make friends...  
Like a present from above, he got this occasion on Wednesday afternoon. As they did not have class, Kairi and him hung out around town and ran into some of Kairi's friends, with who they stayed for a few hours. There was Xion, a quiet girl who, despite her hard-rock style clothes, was one the sweetest girl in this world. With her was her half-sister Naminé, who was completely different but just as nice. The two were students at Destiny High School, where Naminé was part of the drama club and Xion of a rock band. They had heard of Sora before and Naminé was in Roxas' class, but they didn't speak that much. It was basically a lovely afternoon, and Ventus noted the name of the café they went to... in case he had a date to plan. And also because their hot chocolate was to die for.

And after this mostly normal week, the week-end came- finally. Ventus was ecstatic: he would finally be able to attend this contemporary class he was waiting for... and also see Zack. Okay, that was probably what he was the most excited about, but hey, it's not every day a hot guy asks you to join his individual class- right ?  
On Saturday morning, Ventus went to attend his contemporary lesson. Knowing he would probably forget the way, he took the precaution of writing it down on his phone, and this was pretty helpful, as he wasn't late for class. He entered the boys' changing room and settled in a corner. After taking his dance clothes out of his bag, he started to take his shirt off before he heard a voice next to him.

"Roxas ?!"

Startled and most of all surprised, Ventus stopped what he was doing and turned towards the owner of the voice. A tall young man with rather... exotic red hair was looking at him with a shocked expression. Ventus assumed that it was Kairi's brother, as there was a vague resemblance on the face and mainly the bright red hair. Was that colour even natural? The young student raised an eyebrow, and was careful not to voice his thoughts.

"Um, no, I'm Ventus... wait, how do you even know my brother?"

The older student's face lit up in a mixture of sudden understanding and embarrassment. He grinned widely then, as though he had forgotten Ventus was standing there, he started talking again.

"Oh yeah, of course! Roxas has a beauty mark on the lip-" Ventus shot him a mix of a death glare and a suspicious look, and that cut what was supposed to be Axel short. "I mean, I've only seen him a couple times around town, and um, I know his name beca-"

"Forget it, Axel, you're already burying yourself down under."

A deep, masculine voice came from behind Axel, and the first thing Ventus could associate it to was Zack. It was so similar, yet if you listened closely, you could feel the differences. Then the mysterious speaker revealed himself, standing next to Axel. He was tall, lean with dark brown hair and a light tan that complimented his deep blue eyes. Everything about him screamed 'Zack', yet... you could definitively see the differences.

"Please excuse my friend Axel, he's not the smartest sometimes. I'm Terra."  
Ohhh, so that was Terra, Zack's younger brother... Ventus should've noticed this sooner, with all the similarities between the two. but maybe he was too distracted by the insistence of those bright blue orbs to think...

Terra held his hand out to him, and as he shook it, Ventus tried to get out of his haze and say at least a few words.

"U-uh, it's okay. I'm Ventus- just call me Ven."

And Ven cursed himself for not saying something smarter than that.  
Terra laughed softly, shaking Ventus' hand in return.

"I know who you are. Zack constantly talks about you."

Ventus felt his face gain a bit of colour as he looked away from Terra and retired his hand.

"Oh- he does?"

The other student nodded, still smiling, though his smile seemed to have taken another emotion that Ventus couldn't quite identify.  
Before he could answer anything, though, the bell rang for the second time, which meant that by now they should've been all changed. So the three of them hurried to get dressed, before going back in the actual dance room.

It turned out they actually didn't need to hurry, as the teacher appeared to be late. Five minutes later however, a woman with long red hair -what was up with that hair colour? - entered the room, a wide smile on her face.  
"Sorry, I'm late! My fork was stuck in my hair."  
The younger students looked at each other with confused expressions, while the older just rolled their eyes or let out a little laugh.  
Completely oblivious to her audience's reactions, the teacher continued talking.  
"Oh, hi! For those who don't know me, I'm Ariel. Some people tell me I'm not really good at standing on my feet, but hey, we do contemporary and contemporary is a little weird, right?" There was a heavy silence in the room. "That was a joke, kids- and now, let's dance !!"

At that moment, Ventus thought that even if this teacher didn't actually teach him how to dance, he had still learnt a few things today:

a) Zack seemed to have taken an interest in him.

b) Zack's brother was really, REALLY hot.

c) For short, he was screwed.


	4. Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Those times when you think you messed up, and then...

Sure, Terra was ridiculously hot, and had proved to be an amazing dancer during the contemporary class, but that didn't make Ven less excited and nervous about his upcoming date- or was it a date?- with Zack. The time was becoming nearer and nearer now. Back in his little apartment, Ven was fumbling in his closet to find the right thing to wear. He still had thirty minutes to get ready, but thirty minutes suddenly seemed to him way, way too short and too long at the same time. In the end, he decided to change into a pair of washed-out, boyfriend ripped jeans and a black t-shirt, as well as his favourite black Vans. This was pretty much his usual go-to outfit, but he was going to be wearing dance clothes anyway. Speaking of which, he packed his backpack with black leggings, a loose band t-shirt, his dance shoes and a little water bottle, which he always found necessary.

A little ruffling of his hair and he was out the door, checking the time on his phone and blasting music in his ears to give himself courage. He reached the school far too early and paced around the hall, trying to calm his thumping heart and relax. His body and mind had always had a certain reaction when he was about to hang out with someone or get social. His heart would start to beat fast in apprehension and nervousness, and his stomach would hurt because of the stress, forcing him to take deep breaths. And that was exactly the case now.

More than once Ventus was tempted to run away in fear, but he decided to put up with the tension hanging in the air like dust particles. And finally, after what seemed like hours of waiting and internal struggle, Zack erupted in the hall and spotted Ven, addressing him an overly wide, overly charming smile. Ven couldn't really tell if the knot in his chest loosened or tightened, but he managed to smile back.

"Hey!"

Zack greeted him nonchalantly while walking towards him. Ventus felt heat rise up to his cheeks and muttered a 'Hello', which Zack acknowledged with a bright smile. Suddenly, as if remembering something out of the blue, he checked the time on his watch and his eyes widened slightly. He let out a handsome laugh - how could a laugh be handsome? - then took Ventus' hand and led him to the changing room.

"Sorry, I'm just barely on time, we need to hurry. Anyway, have you been waiting for long? How was your day?"

Almost too startled by Zack's warm hand to answer or process anything, Ventus shook the blush off his face and followed Zack in the locker room with a soft laugh.

"Um, no, I've just arrived." A little lie wouldn't hurt at this right moment. "And my day was good- contemporary was a little weird, but I liked it."

They made small talk while dressing down and back up in dance clothes. Surprisingly, this wasn't overly embarrassing and Ven actually felt the pain in his stomach fade away. And though looking at Zack well-defined abs was definetly tempting... Ven tried to conceal his side glances as best as he could. He suddenly felt greatly unprofessional with his loose-fitting T-shirt, since Zack wore actual _real_  dance clothes. But as he tugged his shirt on, the tall brunet looked at what was written on it and smiled.

"I didn't expect you to like Arctic Monkeys... I just love what they do. You have a favorite song?"

Ventus happily smiled back and they chatted about their musical tastes, and Ven forgot about his so-called inadequate clothes.

When they were ready, they walked in the dance room, where Ms. Cendrillon was waiting for them. She greeted them with a welcoming smile and they talked about their day before warming up. Ventus was still pretty nervous about dancing with two of the best in the school - including a teacher. Once their bodies were ready to move, Zack explained to Ven that he was starting to practice an individual choreography for the annual Winter gala. He suggested that Ven could see the beginning of the dance, and the younger gladly accepted.

He sat on a chair in the corner of the room, watching as Zack stretched his arms, then lifted them up and placed his legs in fourth position. With a very serious face, he looked over at the teacher and nodded curtly, allowing her to press the hi-fi's Play button. A soft, classical tune flowed out of the speakers and Ven recognized almost instantly Experience, by Ludovico Einaudi.

The rest was pure magic. Zack was, indeed, an astonishing dancer. He danced as if the music flowed through his veins, was part of him and moved him; yet you could see he had the perfect amount of control, his muscles getting tense and relaxing with real precision, his body remaining entirely balanced. The way Zack interpreted so perfectly a choreography so complex was breathtaking, and Ven did not keep his eyes from widening in amazement. Zack seemed to notice him and smirked lightly, though never moved his focus away from his choreography. All the while, Ms. Cendrillon was in the corner next to the hi-fi with a small, proud smile and was gently bobbing her head in rhythm, counting to eight under her breath.

Too soon for Ventus' taste, Zack reached the end of the part of choreography he had learned and the teacher stopped the music. After a few seconds of silence, Ven suddenly clapped in admiration. It probably looked stupid, but honestly, he had no words to describe Zack's astonishing performance. The older dancer laughed humbly, running a hand through his hair to pull it back.

"Glad you liked it," he said and winked - wait, winked?!- to a very intimidated and embarrassed Ventus. The latter blushed lightly, then decided to attempt to flirt back.

"I mean, I didn't like it, I loved it... You were really great," he answered as Zack laughed again and approached him. He took Ven's bottle and opened it, then looked at him for permission. Ven hastily nodded in agreement - because who would refuse an indirect kiss with Zack - allowing the tall dancer to take a few sips. He then put the bottle down and looked directly in Ventus' eyes.

"Your turn now," he started very seriously, "I want to see you dance."

Ven's eyes widened a little. Oh. So Zack, aka the best ballet dancer in the school, wanted to see him dance. Right now. What was he supposed to do? Politely refuse or execute a simple choreography he kind of knew? There was one he liked and felt comfortable doing in front of others... But would that be enough to please Zack and Cendrillon? To his own surprise, he timidly nodded and nervously tucked a lock of hair behind his ear.

"Um, okay... I'm not the best, but, um, I'll try."

He smiled shyly and Zack nodded in encouragement. Ven stood up and looked for the music in his phone. He felt instantly bad about it not being classical, but he tried to shake it off and instead focus on dancing. Trying to calm his wild heart, Ventus walked to the middle of the room and waited for the teacher to play the music. The silence was heavy and, on Ventus' side, full of apprehension. He got into fourth position and finally, Cendrillon pressed Play and the gentle sound of Regina Spektor's Blue Lips echoed in the room.

Ven started moving, a little bit stiff at first, then progressively relaxing as the choreography came back in his mind. He almost messed up his first spin and barely kept his balance, hoping that no one had noticed. Then, under the pressure, he forgot to straighten one of his legs during a move. A mistake no student of his level was supposed to do.

But if technique wasn't his specialty, one thing Ven was really good at was theatricality. He did his best to give his all into dancing, trying to transmit emotions to the watcher- and it usually succeeded. By the end of his performance, Ven thought that it had been a total disaster and that his dance career would probably never happen, because who wouldn't listen to two amazing dancers if they say one of their students is bad?

But Zack suddenly got up and walked to him, putting a hand on his shoulder under the appraising gaze of their teacher. Zack's infinite blue eyes locked with a very dazed Ventus', and without hesitation, the brunet spoke up.

"That was... amazing. Dazzling. You have some real, rare talent here, Ven, so listen: I want you to dance with me at the Winter Gala. Are you in?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so I know there was a LOT of delay for this chapter, but I think there will be less for the next because I finally have completed my outline!   
> Anyways, thanks a lot for reading and following my story :) ❤️


	5. Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life is hard, and Zack is still finding ways to make it harder...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And in this chapter... Things happen. ;)

"Yes... Yes, absolutely!" 

An excited smile appeared on Ven's face while he tried to realise what had just happened. Zack wanted to dance with him. In public. In front of an audience. The whole scene looked like a proposal; but really, it was accurate, because a performance with Zack was huge, and sure felt like a commitment. Ventus could already anticipate the long hours of training he'd have to accomplish to come closer to Zack's level; but really, it all seemed worth it. 

The older dancer smiled in return, settling the agreement, while in the corner of the room, their teacher watched with a fond smile. She couldn't wait to see what two dancers like them could create together; she only hoped that Zack wouldn't be too hard on Ven. True, the young one had pure talent and an immense potential, but he still had to improve technically, and that was something Zack was picky about.   
Cendrillon shook her head. No, she thought, everything will be fine. 

It was fine at first. They saw each other every Saturday morning during Zack's class, to practice their choreography or just do technical exercises. After training, they usually hung out at a nearby café, but never too long when Ven had homework to do. Ventus liked this balance between working and relaxing, and he surprisingly even enjoyed the first option better: dancing with Zack was demanding, but when they practiced together, Ven almost felt like his equal. On the other hand, when they casually sat in the café's nice stuffed armchairs, Ventus could see that all eyes were on his friend, and he couldn't help but feel truly out of place. Despite that, their Saturdays settled themselves like a habit, and if Ven had said that he did not wait for them impatiently, it would have been a lie. 

Of course, Zack's class was not the only appointment he had on Saturday. There was also the contemporary lesson, which Ven was always happy to attend, both thanks to their enthusiastic teacher and the presence of Terra. The latter didn't talk much; but when he did, it was always to say something nice or encouraging. During the first few classes, Ven, not knowing so much people, sticked with Terra and Axel who happily welcomed him. The two were pretty experienced but they didn't make Ven feel bad; instead, when he failed, they pushed him to try again and do his best to improve.   
Terra and him sometimes talked on Messenger, just to exchange about the upcoming training or take note of a schedule change. Once, the teacher had exceptionally ended the class earlier than usual, and both of them not really knowing what to do during their free time, had lunch together. It had been a nice time, and an occasion to speak about things other than dance. As they had left the diner, they promised to do this kind of thing again later, and Ven was happy about it. It was not a date at all, at least it did not feel like it; besides, if it had been, Ventus would have felt too guilty to, in a way, betray Zack. No, him and Terra were just friends. Right? 

So the weeks passed and turned to months, and Ven gradually saw his condition deteriorate. He had to stay up later to finish the homework he couldn't do on Saturday, and the lack of sleep was starting to get to him. He tried to keep a healthy routine, but the balance between dance, school and social life was hard to find. He tried his best to stay focused on doing his best, but ultimately, he could feel himself get tired. He grew distant with his family, staying inside his room all Sunday to work and knowing he had to go back to school the day after, and go back to his chaotic habits. That was without mentioning that Zack was far from indulgent with him, and exigent about technique that Ven did not have. The younger dancer saw his experienced friend's advice as a way to improve his skills, even though he did have to admit that he sometimes went out of the class very stressed out and just wanting to go back to his peaceful apartment. He was so caught up in work that he didn't even think about his possible feelings for Zack anymore, or the fact that the two of them were becoming closer and closer. One would think that Ventus would have enough of this lifestyle; but surprisingly, the blonde teen saw the positive side of things. Yes, times were hard, but he was achieving one of his childhood dreams, studying in the prestigious Royal Dance School. To add to that, he was going to dance - on a stage - with one of the most renowned dancers in this academy. This was something anyone would wish for; so he was happy. And even when he was hurt or tired, he beamed with his usual bright and joyous smile.

One day, one of the good days, when he wasn't exhausted to the point that he only wanted to go home, Zack suggested that they could walk around before going home, instead of going to the café like they usually did. Ven didn't really think too much of it; Zack just wanted to change their routine a little, that was all. Little did he know that this would definitely change their routine... 

For the season, the weather was particularly cold. As they walked out of the school, Ventus felt the temperature difference and smacked himself on the head for not having brought a heavier jacket. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, trying to warm himself up a little. They walked on, and Ven let Zack lead him to who-knows-where. On the way, they talked like always, about their week, their homework, their sore muscle which was bothering them, and about many other things. A short walk brought them to a nearby park, where students usually went when they didn't have class, or just when the weather was beautiful and they craved for the outdoors. Since it wasn't so warm that day, there weren't many people in the park, but some others more courageous were still seen enjoying the fresh air. 

While starting to wonder why Zack would take him here during a cold day like this one, Ventus rubbed his arms to warm himself up slightly. Despite this, and probably because of his sensitivity to the cold, he shivered pretty violently. Just as he hoped that Zack had not seen this, he felt an arm wrap around his shoulders and he looked up to see the raven-haired young man smile at him. In an instant, the blushing of his own face reminded him of what he thought of Zack. He had never put it that way, but he could admit now that it was definitely a crush; something that he never knew could turn into more. But then again, was it going to turn into more? Zack's gesture could've been just friendly. Yes, it was probably friendly. To be honest, Ventus didn't know what he liked best; Zack as a friend or as a... well... boyfriend. Sure, he was hot, smart and everything anyone could wish for, but also maybe too experienced for Ventus who had never had a boyfriend before. Not to mention their age gap... 

Ven's mind and heart were racing when Zack and him stopped at a certain place in the park, on the bank of a small lake, a spot somewhat isolated from the rest of the park by trees and bushes. It was a beautiful place, but the weather made it quite gloomy. If Ventus hadn't known that Zack was a good guy, he would've probably feared to get cut up into pieces and have his body thrown in the lake... The thought scared him and he had an imperceptible shudder. However, instead of attacking him, Zack turned towards him with a charming smile. 

"This place is nicer when the sun is shining," he started with a small sigh. "But well, to be honest, I couldn't wait another day to tell you how I feel." 

Ven's heart stopped at these words. Had he not heard this correctly? It had to be a mistake. It was impossible that someone like Zachary Fair would confess his feelings for someone like Ventus Strife; they were basically polar opposites! Ven braced himself to wake up from a dream, but no, this was reality... and Zack kept talking. 

"The first time I saw you, I thought of how cute you were; the second, how nice and caring you were. Then, you showed me how talented you were and I know you can show me so much more... You amaze me a little more everyday, Ven... I don't want to miss any of it."

It was so cheesy... too fluffy. Too heartfelt. It sounded too much like it was recited, yet Ven did not see that. He was mesmerized by Zack's eyes, and his voice, and he forgot his reluctance, his doubts and his increasing bond with Terra. He forgot the age gap, the feeling of unease in Zack's company, the stares and his future disappointments. 

"Will you be my boyfriend?"

Yes. Yes, absolutely. 

Zack leaned in to kiss him, and Ventus met him halfway, feeling Zack's lips curl into a smile and his hands wrap around his waist. 

He had mixed feelings about it.


	6. Representation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The upcoming Gala and his relationship with Zack are putting a huge pressure onto Ventus. Let's hope he doesn't screw everything up...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is sort of a transition chapter, with a little look into Ven's private life, and his friends back home. SoRiku, anyone? ;) 
> 
> As always, hope you enjoy reading, and I'll see you in the next chapter :D

As Zack and him walked out onto the stage, Ven understood what the fright in stage fright meant.

He also understood that they were one of the highlights of the night and one of the most awaited dances, based on the roaring applause that they got - well, that Zack got - when they appeared. It was not at all what Ventus had expected.

They had been training for weeks and months to make their choreography perfect, correcting every move, every position of the body one by one. Ventus had especially worked on his technique, making sure that every single thing was in place and ready for the big show, spending hours alone in the school to rehearse and rehearse again. His mind was filled with the choreography: he repeated it endlessly in his head, through math, french, lunch, history... And through the night. The pressure he was putting on himself was huge, of course; and added to the pressure that Zack was putting on him, Ventus became constantly worked up about everything, getting irritated by very little and even sometimes having short periods of breakdown, just sitting in tears on the floor of his bedroom because he once again failed to achieve perfectly this figure that he was supposed to show Zack the next day.

In short, his life was an organised mess, as much as his mind was, and he had trouble finding time to actually be Zack's boyfriend. They only saw each other at lunch time in the cafeteria, which was shared between high school and university. Instead of feeling happy when he saw him, Ventus was always overcome with awkwardness, and embarrassment when Zack wrapped his arm around his shoulder in front of his thousand friends. Well, he also felt his heart beat a little faster when he did; but he still didn't know if it was due to possible feelings towards Zack or anxiety to do something wrong. How are you supposed to act when you're dating the most popular guy in school? How do you react to the stares and the whispers wherever you go? Ventus had not really understood the breadth of the situation until one day, as he was heading to his next class with Kairi, two girls that looked slightly older than him asked if he was really Zack's "new boyfriend". As he acquisced, they just giggled and threw him a 'Good Luck', before leaving him confused and hurt.

He knew, deep inside, that he was far from being Zack's first boyfriend. But still... He was his boyfriend, and that meant that Zack did at least like him, right? Zack, however, was Ventus' first boyfriend, and if he thought before that going out with someone more experienced was helpful, he now questioned this idea. Sometimes Ventus wondered if he wasn't just Zack's trophy, but he always pushed these thoughts out of his head, and looked at things positively. Besides, he had so much more to think of aside from that, with homework and choreographies and a thousand other things.

Going back to his family during the weekend was a blessing. It was an occasion to relax and release some pressure, and also to try to forget his troubles for a day or two. When he had free time, he hung out with his brothers or teens from the neighborhood. One night, he invited Kairi over and they were joined by Sora's childhood friend, Riku, who lived in a house just across the street. The conversation drifted to love and relationships, and Kairi asked him how it was going with Zack.

"So, I guess the whole school knows, uh?", he answered with a small laugh. "I guess I should've seen it coming, since he's the popular one."

"It looks like it's bothering you," Riku observed with a frown.

"Yeah, a bit... I guess it just makes me uncomfortable. It's okay, though, it's not like my whole life is on display for anyone to see... But it's a weird thing to be recognised when you walk casually in your school. And to always have eyes on you when you're with your boyfriend."

At his words, Kairi snickered and threw a pillow at him, accusing him at the same time of feeling like a pop star. As Ventus laughed and protected himself, Riku remained, as always, serious and thought about the blonde teen's reflexion.

"But, do you love him?", he asked, interrupting his friends' playful fight and looking right at Ventus. The other teen paused for a moment, looking at his room's ceiling. After a while, he sighed.

"... I don't even know what love is. I don't know if I'm supposed to feel it now, or later, or how it feels and how I can know if it's there." There was a silence, and Ventus sighed again, before deciding to lighten up the mood a little. "Oh, but Riku, _you_ can explain to me what love is, since, you know, with Sora..."

Simultaneously, Riku's face turned a deep red color, and the door of the room flew open.

"Speaking of the devil..." Kairi mumbled with a malicious smile, earning in return a pillow in the face from Riku. Although the remark was heard by Sora, it wasn't understood nor really minded by the brown-haired boy.

"What? What devil? Well, whatever, oh hi Riku, I didn't know you were here, can you help me with my math test tomorrow because you know Ventus is busy so I figured that maybe you could help me instead and also I kinda really wanna hang out with you so-"

Sora kept blabbering on, and Riku smiled and stood up with a nod, not forgetting to shot a death glare at his two friends. It was a secret for no one but Sora that Riku had a massive crush on him, and that it had been the case for years. And of course, Riku was way to afraid to jeopardise his friendship with Sora to make any move... So they were stuck in a dead-end.

The two teens left the room, Riku closing the door after them, leaving Kairi and Ventus to their gossip and random dance talks. They stayed up for a long time, and then when Kairi tried to make a split on the bed at 2am (don't try this at home, kids) and ended up clutching her painful leg while laughing loudly, they both decided that it was definitely time to go to sleep.

After months of training to make everything perfect, the day of the Winter Gala finally came. The whole school was euphoric, especially the new students who were going to attend - and even sometimes be a part of - their first gala. Not escaping the rule, Ventus was extremely nervous, and feared that he would eventually screw something up. Luckily, he did not have to worry about focusing in class as the students were expected to prepare the show during the day, whether it be by rehearsing their dance or decorating the Hall.

At 7:30pm, the spectacle started. Ventus assisted to the first performances, all of them beautifully executed, before he and Zack went backstage to warm up and stretch one last time. The anxiety and adrenaline were rising inside of Ven's heart with each minute passing, and before he knew it, it was their turn to act. Ventus took a deep breath, and relaxed a little as Zack took his hand and offered him a reassuring smile. Ventus sincerely smiled back, before focusing back on his choreography as the music started and they walked onto the stage.

The performance itself was kind of a blur. Ventus did not remember having made any major mistake, just a few little ones here and there. What he did remember, though, was the deep connection he had felt with Zack all throughout it. Their chemistry was undeniable, as they moved gracefully on stage, their attitudes just fitting together like pieces of a puzzle. For a few minutes, Ventus forgot about his uneasiness around Zack, his reluctance to display his affection in public, his irritation and all that was bothering him. As the performance finished and the lights went off, Ventus felt rebirthed and drained at the same time. They left the stage under a shower of applause, and the second they set foot backstage, Zack pulled Ventus into a tight hug. The blonde teen sighed in relief, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend, as all the pressure left his body and he finally, for the first time in weeks, relaxed.

A few other dances occurred, then the show was officially over, and all the students gathered in the Hall to congratulate whoever had performed. Zack, who was already speaking about their next performance together, had dragged a very tired Ventus to his large group of friends, who spoke and laughed way too loudly for the poor teen's exhausted ears. Ven spotted Terra a few meters away, and the brown-haired student seemed to notice him at exactly the same time. Their eyes met for a few seconds, before Ventus excused himself from Zack's discussion to walk up to Terra. The latter smiled brightly at him, patting his shoulder somewhat awkwardly.

"So? What did you think?" Ventus asked playfully, smiling maliciously and earning a blush from Terra. Oops, had he just been flirtatious? No, that was nowhere near flirting... Or was it?

"You were just astonishing out there. I mean, the whole performance was, but... You were particularly..."

Terra paused for a moment, seemingly searching his words, before shaking his head and looking right into Ventus' eyes. The sense of déjà-vu unsettled the blonde teen slightly, as Terra spoke again.

"I'd really love to dance with you... At the next gala. Well, only if it's okay with you, though..."

Ventus' brain stopped working for a second, then he tried to process the information and think reasonably.

"Of course, with pleasure!"

And there he was, always speaking without thinking.


	7. New Relation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ven's life seems perfect... Yet something doesn't feel quite right.

If you asked Ventus if it was a good idea to prepare two performances at the same time, he would answer positively. Even if deep down, he knew he shouldn't have done it. Not only did it mean a greatly increased workload for him, but it also meants that he had to find a way to tell Zack that he would not dance only with him at the next gala... But also with his brother. The Gala itself was programed for March, and was strangely called the "Show-Off Week", which to Ventus sounded way too competitive to even be allowed in a school. Wasn't the education system supposed to treat everyone equally? Well, it didn't look as fair as it claimed itself to be...

Naturally, Zack was extremely excited about a new dance with Ventus, and he openly decided that, since the first one was such a success, he could increase the difficulty of the choreography without a problem. Ventus tried to make him understand that he would be particularly busy the next few weeks, and that if he wanted to maintain his grades at a good level, he would have to give less time to dance, and more time to homework... Which was actually part of the truth. When he read the disappointment in Zack's gaze, he decided to not tell him anything about his performance with Terra for the moment, as he feared to offend his boyfriend further. So he kept his mouth shut, and Zack accepted to slightly modify the choreography he had already prepared. 

Zack and Ventus continued training intensively on Saturday mornings, and Ven started to worry about having to also practice just as much with Terra, which would leave him very little time to do his homework, and very little free time too. He didn't want to be completely busy for the whole week, or he would rapidly get tired. When they talked about it with Terra, the older teen was totally understanding, as he was in the same situation as Ventus. He was in his senior year of high school, and he had to keep his grades high in all subjects if he wanted to keep doing dance throughout University; he actually struggled with a few disciplines, and he could not allow himself to sacrifice homework for dance. They agreed on practicing on Saturdays from 1pm to 3pm at Terra's place, but they both knew that the time and date weren't set in stone, and that it could change if it was better for one of them. It truly felt less strict and academic than with Zack; both teens knew that they did this performance for fun. It was refreshing to dance without anything at stake, just for the pleasure of it, and soon Ven's meetings with Terra became an occasion to evacuate the pressure accumulated over the week. 

The first time Ventus set foot in the Fair household, he was amazed. Actually, he had been amazed since he and Terra had walked through the front gate and into the garden, which despite the month being February and the temperature really low, looked absolutely gorgeous. Ventus' eyes were treated with the beautiful sight of the house: it stood tall, hovering over the luxurious plants, a modern edifice in white and taupe tones. It was obvious that the residents were well-off, but the building wasn't too exuberant either, and surprisingly, Ventus did not feel out of place in front of it. Terra led him inside, and Ventus tried to conceal his stupefaction. The interior looked warm and cozy, and modern at the same time, with a large living room and an open kitchen, and abstract paintings hung up on the walls. It was a lot to take in for Ven, and Terra laughed lightly at his bewildered eyes. 

"Wow, um, that's... That's a cool house," Ventus managed to say, while looking around him. He spotted a framed picture on a shelf in the entryway. It was a family picture, probably from a few years back, since one of the two boys in the middle undeniably looked like Terra, while the other one seemed younger than both of the siblings Venrus knew. He concluded that when he was Terra's age, Zack looked very similar to his brother. 

"Is that your mother? I feel like I've seen her somewhere before..." 

Ventus examined the woman's face, while Terra was hanging up his coat, along with Ventus'. The older teen acquiesced, standing by Ven's side and allowing him to look at the picture. After a few seconds, a sudden realisation seemed to hit the blonde boy. 

"Wait. Waiiiit. Is that really what I think it is?" Ven turned his head towards Terra, then the picture, then to Terra again. "Don't tell me Annushka Lebedev is your mother!" Ventus could see it clearly now; Lebedev was a successful ballet dancer, who was now a choreographer for one of the most influencial dance companies in the country. She was an example and a role model for many young dancers, including Ventus, yet she never lost her humanity and humility because of fame. So being in her house, right now... It was kind of surreal. 

At his words, Terra laughed quietly, but it was obvious that he was nervous. "Um, yeah, she is." He scratched the back of his neck, as if embarrassed of the revelation. 

"You probably didn't know it, because we don't like to share it around. I've had people call me a show-off and a rich kid before, so..." He sighed, looking at Ventus with a little apologetic smile. The blonde teen looked back at him and shook his head. 

"No, that doesn't mean you are, but, I mean... It's still awesome to be related to someone this amazing, you know? It's not like you're suddenly a completely different person now that I know it, but it's still pretty cool!"

Ventus sent him a reassuring smile, and Terra seemed to relax, sighing in relief as he led Ven to his room upstairs. 

"I kinda was afraid of how you'd react," he started without really looking at Ventus. "The few people I've told so far have either hated me, because they think I'm privileged or something, or have suddenly started acting as if they were my best friend, even though they didn't even notice me before. I didn't want that to happen, especially with you..." 

Terra spoke more and more quietly and Ventus almost would have missed the last part if he wasn't intently listening. The remark was ambiguous, and left Ventus wondering and confused. The blonde boy tried to not think about it too much, and their conversation went on as if nothing happened. They reached Terra's room, which was lodged under the roof in the attic, and emitted a nice, cozy atmosphere. 

"Make yourself at home," Terra offered with a smile, while he took a seat at his desk and took out some notebooks. Ventus sat at the edge of the bed, taking off his shoes and looking around the room in curiosity. After a few minutes of a comfortable silence, Ventus spoke to ask a question. 

"Wait, weren't we supposed to practice?"

Terra laughed and spun his chair around to face him, tucking his pen behind his ear. 

"Don't worry, we will practice eventually... But we have time, don't we?"

And that was how the long series of meetings between the two started, with laughs and conversations first and foremost, and then practice when they felt like it. 

Of course, eventually, Ventus had to tell Zack that he was going to dance with Terra for the Show-Off Week. If Zack was annoyed by the idea, he hid it very well, because Ventus was pleasantly surprised by how good his boyfriend had taken the news. Either way, it would've been strange for Zack to be mad, because there was nothing going on between him and Terra. Well... actually, Ven didn't really know if it was the case. He tried to think about it and analyse the situations: he thought about the fact that when they were in contemporary class together, Terra often stole glances at him, and always turned to him when they had to pair up. But that obviously didn't mean anything, they were just isolated little things that one could reinterpret as they wanted. Ven always ended up at the same conclusion : Terra liked him as a friend. Which was fine, of course. So why did he feel a little sad every time he thought about it? Why did he feel like something was wrong? And why couldn't he bring himself to love Zack, no matter how hard he tried?! 

His own attitude frustrated him. He had everything anyone else would want, and yet, something didn't feel quite right. 

He couldn't put his finger on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like I'm on a roll! Two chapters in a few days, I think it's a miracle. But also, I think the fast-approaching TerraVen is giving me motivation... ;) 
> 
> As always, thanks for reading and I'll see you in the next chapter!


	8. Degradation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zack is far from happy to assist to Terra and Ven's performance... Drama ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're starting to reach the end of this fic... I hope the final chapters won't disappoint you, because I'm literally pouring my heart into them! :') 
> 
> As always, hope you'll enjoy reading! ❤️

The Show-Off Week started on Monday evening. Ventus' performances were on two separate days, one dedicated to contemporary and the other one to ballet. On Tuesday afternoon, he met with Terra to practice one last time the choreography they would perform in the evening. Ventus was slightly nervous, but considered that he knew the dance enough to not screw anything up, and that Terra wouldn't be bothered if he did a few mistakes. The older teen was just as satisfied with their performance, and they ended up being impatient to go on stage, instead of dreading it. They were determined to have fun, and do their best, and it was the only thing they needed to create something beautiful. The hours passed, the show started, and soon enough it was their turn to dance.

As the music started and Terra went on stage first, like their teacher had suggested, Ventus suddenly realised how ambiguous their performance would be. He hadn't thought about it that way before, but now... Now it was more than obvious that the song was a romantic one. How could he have been so oblivious? He was so caught up with learning the choreography that he had not stopped one second on the _meaning_ of the dance... Which, when you did contemporary, was not supposed to happen. Thinking about how dumb he was, Ventus bit his lip and closed his eyes. It was almost his turn to go on stage, by now. Determined to get this performance done, he tried to enter the skin of his character. "What would it feel like if you loved Terra?," he asked himself.

The answer came to him as he set foot on stage and his eyes caught Terra's.

_Secrets I have held in my heart_  
_Are harder to hide than I thought_  
_Maybe I just wanna be yours..._

As he danced, the only thing Ven saw was Terra; and it was exactly the same the other way around. They were in their bubble, cut from the outside, drowned in each other's gaze. Every touch felt like electricity running through their skin, and Ventus could swear his lip would bleed if he didn't stop biting it. If he did mistakes, he certainly was too caught up with Terra's very existence to notice them. This moment felt so good, so precious, that Ven wished he could stop time and live it over and over again forever.

Sadly, the performance eventually came to an end, and both dancers slowly came out of their haze as the audience erupted in applause and the lights went out. Ventus looked at Terra for a few seconds in the darkness, trying as best as he could to sort out his feelings. He couldn't bring himself to do it, and he quickly left the stage, confused and lost and shameful, and completely aware of the feeling inside of his chest. He did not hear from Terra immediately after that, which was probably for the best, because he was not prepared for the drama that followed...

Of course, when he showed up the next day to practice with Zack, the young man had things to tell him. Not pretty things. Ven braced himself for the catastrophy. He was already exhausted by a sleepless night, which he had spent feeling guilty about himself and his wrong attitude. Because of him, his choreography with Zack would be ruined. How were they supposed to practice for after-tomorrow night's show in these conditions?

"You know what I'm going to ask you," Zack said right as Ventus entered the studio. He had his arms crossed over his chest, his face twisted in a mix of hurt and anger. The blonde teen nodded, resigned. "Can you possibly tell me what happened last night? Why did you look hopelessly in love with my _brother_? Wait, screw that. Why did you even dance something _romantic_  with my fucking brother?!"

Ventus stayed silent, running a nervous hand through his hair while thinking of something to answer. Before Zack could speak again, he tried to form a complete sentence. "I... I just... Okay, I know you probably won't understand it, but um, I was so excited to dance something with Terra that I... Wait, no, I wasn't _excited_ , dancing with Terra was just fun, and so I forgot what the actual meaning of the dance was..." Zack raised a skeptical eyebrow, and Ventus sighed, fighting back the tears that rose to his eyes. "Okay, I know what I did was wrong, but let's just forget it just until the show is over, alright?"

Zack's eyes pierced right through him, and he shook his head. "I won't forget it anytime soon. You better make a perfect performance when the night comes, because if you don't, don't expect me to be nice."

They tried to practice like they usually did, with Zack about 100% more strict and demanding than usual. Every time something was wrong, they had to start all over again, and the fear and pressure exhausted Ven. It was the tenth time they tried a particularly difficult porté, and both knew they couldn't do it, because something was wrong, something was gone. Ventus burst into tears, slumping down on the ground and burying his face in his arms; Zack sat down next to him and wrapped his arms around him in an attempt to soothe him, but both students felt empty.

The trust was gone. The bond that had once linked them was severed.

They agreed to not try to practice anymore for today, because they knew it would lead to nothing. By the time they were changing in the locker room, Ventus had somewhat gathered his thoughts. So when Zack brought up the issue again, he was more prepared.

"Ven... Honestly, just tell me what's wrong."

The blonde sighed, knowing all too well that both wouldn't like the words he was about to say.

"Zack... I-I don't think we're meant for each other."

Seeing the tall brunet startle at his words, Ventus hurried to develop his feelings before Zack could interrupt.

"What I mean is, our relationship is not romantic... I love dancing with you, and I truly feel like our bodies fit together, like we just _know_ what to do and how to make a choreography beautiful. I love when we look at each other at the end of a training or a dance, and I see in your eyes that you're proud of me, and I'm really proud of us, too. But then, we hang out casually and I feel too awkward, too small, too young for you and it just... doesn't _feel_ good... I mean, our relationship is about who's the best dancer, how to get the most out of a choreography or what's the amount of applause we'll get in the end... It's not about love."

Zack stayed silent, and Ventus couldn't say if his eyes were full of pain, scorn of anger. Gathering his thoughts, he clenched his jaw and shook his head.

"You talk as if I'm the one to blame for that, Ventus, but here's the thing. You seemed pretty happy about the applause you got after dancing with my brother."

Ven wanted to keep arguing, tell him that he never said it was his fault or that their conversation has nothing to do with Terra. But Zack had already grabbed his bag and left, leaving Ventus alone in the empty locker room.

So he just stood here, and after a while, the timer-controlled lights turned off.

The next day, Ventus woke up with a headache, and tear stains on his cheeks. He had no idea about what to do to fix this whole situation, so he tried to find support in his friends. He talked about it on the phone with Kairi, and she comforted him as best as she could. She said that based on what Ventus was telling her, it seemed like he was in an abusive relationship... And Ven hoped that it wasn't the case, because he knew Zack really wasn't a bad person. Then, when he mentioned what he possibly felt towards Terra, Kairi advised him to make things clear with him upfront, so Ventus followed her lead and nervously texted the older teen, asking him to come to his place - if it was okay with him - because he had something to tell him.

Moments later, Terra knocked on Ven's door, seemingly trying to catch his breath. He apologised for not having seen the text sooner, and Ventus assured him that it was alright, allowing him to enter his apartment.

Terra took off his coat, and followed Ven into the small living room - which was really just a couch and a low table. The tension was palpable as they sat next to each other onto the sofa, both not really knowing what to say... And not really wanting to go first. Finally, Ventus broke the silence.

"I think you know what this is about..." he started quietly, and could already feel the tears coming. "Zack was... Pretty angry about our dance... And he showed it. And I-I'm not blaming you or anything, it's just that..." Ventus stopped for a few seconds, then turned his head towards Terra, looking for his eyes to try to read them. "... I don't know what to do to fix this, and it tears me apart because with you, I feel differently, better, but I'm still with Zack, you know, and I don't want to hurt him..." The blonde teen sniffed, his bloodshot eyes travelling from Terra's deep blue eyes to his bitten mouth. "I'm trying to sort out my feelings, but really, whatever I do, I'll just screw everything up, right?" The brown haired teen seemed lost in thought for a few minutes, trying to find something that would cheer Ven up, then didn't answer, instead placing his hand on the side of Ventus' neck.

He moved closer, and Ven didn't stop him.  
His thumb touched his cheek, and Ven didn't stop him.  
He looked right into his eyes, and Ven didn't stop him.

And then they kissed.

It felt like a scalding shower in winter, like hot chocolate in front of the fireplace. It felt like eating cake batter, and then wrapping yourself in a warm blanket.

It felt like home.

But Ven knew he wasn't supposed to do this. Reluctantly, he pulled back, and Terra could see the tears in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, I c-can't do this... Not right now..." Ventus tried to wipe his tears away, cursing himself for hurting someone again. He looked at Terra, and the older teen just looked hurt and sad.

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry," he started with a shaken voice. "I shouldn't have kissed you in the first place... Not after what you said... I don't know what got into me, I'm sorry..."

Giving Ventus a strained smile, he stood up and ran a trembling hand through his hair.

"I'll talk to Zack, about what you told me. I'll... Try to reason him. You two should be together."

And then before Ventus could say anything, or thank him, the blonde teen heard the door of his apartment close gently.

What a fucking failure he was.


	9. Separation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zack comes to a realisation that could hopefully lead to a happy ending...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the second-to-last chapter! I can't believe we're so close to the end... I'm having so much fun writing these chapters, I don't want to stop! (｡•́︿•̀｡)  
> As always, please enjoy reading this chapter, and I'll see you next time... for the last one (◕‿◕)♡

Zack was just as angry about the whole situation on the next day. He continued being tough on Ven, and the latter tried to satisfy him, but ultimately the motivation wasn't there. The performance was fast-approaching, and yes, they were ready, but not perfect enough to Zack's taste. And even though Ven had regained his senses, and now succeeded in holding back or hiding his tears, he still wished the training would be over. As furious as he was, Zack still had a voice in the back of his mind telling him that he shouldn't be so hard on Ven, that all of this was wrong and that he was just acting immature and irrational. Every time this voice grew inside of his head, he fought it back, determined to get this choreography done and flawless, no matter the cost. He would show Terra, and Ven at the same time, that him and his boyfriend were the most beautiful combination of dancers in school; then Ventus would forget everything about his brother, and realise that the harsh treatments were for his own good, and he would come right back into Zack's arms. Part of him knew that he had already lost Ven, and that he had no way of getting him back. But he refused to believe it. He wanted, needed, and would get Ventus' love, eventually.

Zack set Ventus free from practice just before lunchtime, the two sharing an empty kiss as a goodbye until they saw each other again on the evening. Ven came home, and tried to focus on dance instead of his feelings. He would have all the time he desired to think about that after the performance; for now, all that mattered was to get everything right and please Zack. To try and get some rest, he took a small nap, and then since he couldn't concentrate on his homework, he settled with reading a book, trying as best as he could to detach himself from reality... Just for one afternoon. He knew that stress would only make the situation worse, so he took things lightly, and convinced himself that everything was going to be ok.

Meanwhile, Zack returned to the family house, where he poured out his frustration on an essay. He had no idea where Terra was, and honestly didn't really care: the two brothers had almost not spoken since the other night, especially since the younger teen had decided to spend the nights following at his best friend Aqua's apartment. It would have been so much easier if Aqua and Terra had continued dating like they did in secondary school; both had quickly agreed that they were definitely made to be friends and nothing more. And now, Zack was about to lose his boyfriend because Terra had the nerve to have a crush on him... He soon had the answer as to where his brother was when he heard a knock on the door, and he reluctantly acknowledged Terra's presence. The younger teen gently opened the door and peeked inside. Zack had his back towards him, refusing to give him any attention. Suppressing a sigh, Terra entered the room.

"Um, Zack..." Terra started speaking quietly, not really wanting to bother his brother. "I need to tell you something... that we talked about with Ven."

"Yeah," Zack answered with a sarcastic laugh, still not wanting to turn around to look at his interlocutor, "I figured you two had pretty lengthy conversations."

Terra rolled his eyes, then was glad that Zack couldn't see him, because it would probably only have annoyed his brother further. "You know it's not like that," he said without really thinking. Of course Zack would easily find something easy to answer.

"How could I know for sure?" With these words, Zack turned around and shot Terra a death glare, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh, come on, Zack, just hear me out," the younger teen replied with pleading eyes. "I don't care if Ven chooses to date you, it's his choice, after all... But I just want you to at least treat him right, because he deserves it and right now, you're far from healthy for him."

With this, Terra turned his heels and went away, leaving his brother to his confusion as he tried to sort out his thoughts and feelings.

Eventually, the time came when Ven and Zack had to go up on stage and perform. They had warmed up in silence, though it did not mean the same thing for both: while Zack's mind was racing with questions and reflexions, Ven's was only focused on the dance, refusing to leave room for anything else. The blonde teen was thankful that Zack was silent, because he probably couldn't have handled a snarky comment just before the performance. Their name was announced, and they walked towards the stairs leading to the stage. Ven vaguely felt Zack's hand squeeze his shoulder gently, before the music started, and it filled Ventus' mind completely. He forgot if he messed up or not at all; all he remembered was the natural way the movements came to him, and the unbelievable stability of the porté they had always failed before.

The music stopped, and as they held their final positions, under the blinding lights and deafening applause, Zack looked right into Ventus' eyes.

"I get it, now. I get what you meant when you said we weren't made for each other."

He smiled, and Ven smiled back, and then the lights went out and they left the stage in silence.

 

* * *

 

It was the end of May. Two months after their break-up, Zack and Ven were still friendly with each other, though they were yet not out of the awkward phase that follows a separation. Thankfully, Zack didn't seem too devastated, even though according to the rumors, this break-up had shaken him more than his previous - and numerous - ones. Ven, on the other hand, enjoyed his single life like he always had, trying to repress as best as he could what he knew were his feelings for Terra. Sure, the butterflies and the quickening heartbeat were there whenever he set eyes on the older teen, but Ventus was still hesitant. Zack and him had had a pretty serious talk about the situation, the older student assuring him that he now knew that there was no love between them, and that if Ven ultimately chose Terra, he wouldn't say or do anything about it. That was what Ventus feared, really: to break a family because of his own uncertainty. And now, despite the fact that Zack seemed to not mind about Terra and Ven anymore, the blonde teen was reluctant to do anything about it.

Kairi had told him to follow his heart, but the truth was, he was afraid of change. So he preferred to remain single for the time being, and to stay as friendly as he could with Terra without showing his huge crush. The older teen seemed to act as if nothing had ever happened between them, and Ventus was both sad and thankful about it. Besides, as the end of the year approached, the students seemed to have so much more homework, added to the fact that they had to prepare the End of Year Gala. Ven was part of his class's group performance, which was more than enough for him: yes, he liked being in the spotlight, but he wasn't sure that he wanted to go back to it so soon after all the events of this year. He was thrilled to learn that Kairi had been offered to perform a solo, and the red-haired girl was just as excited about it. She deserved it, considering how talented and hard-working she was, and the teacher was happy to see her efforts come to life. Zack, too, had the opportunity to do a solo, and he hoped that it could get him to integrate a company and the end of his studies; Ven didn't doubt one second that he would get contacted.

On a sunny Saturday afternoon, as he was watching a TV show on his laptop, he received a message from Kairi asking him if he wanted to hang out with her, Naminé and Xion in the city. He accepted, quickly changing into something more decent for the outside, basically his go-to outfit: T-shirt, distressed jeans, sneakers. He didn't take a jacket, since it was beautiful outside, and he wouldn't be gone for so long anyway.

The group walked around the streets and the mall for about an hour, and then they made their way to the park, planning to find a spot by the river to relax. They reached the ideal place, and some were already settling down, when Kairi suddenly waved to someone.

"Oh, hey, big bro! I didn't know you'd be here!"

Ventus turned his head to see a grinning Axel walking towards them, accompanied by none other than... Terra. Ventus didn't find anything particularly strange, until he noticed the quick glances Axel took at him and Terra, and then the small wink he addressed to his sister. At that point, Ventus knew something was up. He raised an eyebrow at Kairi, who was laughing quietly.

“Well, since you're here, why don't you guys hang out together? I'm sure it's been ages,” she suggested, pushing Ven towards Terra. The blonde teen blushed lightly, not really wanting to meet Terra's gaze.

“Um... Okay?,” the brown-haired teen said hesitantly. He looked as clueless as Ven, which certainly reassured the younger student, who now knew he wasn't the only victim of Kairi and Axel's plan. Laughing nervously, he shrugged and they started walking aimlessly. At first, the silence was heavy and uncomfortable; then, it grew peaceful, and Ven's mind stopped racing about what he should do. After a while, they started talking about random things, and then they settled on the riverbank.

“So...” Terra started, slightly unsure. “... I don't know if this was what Axel and Kairi aimed for, but I'd like to tell you something.”

Ventus gulped, nodding his head and nervously replacing a lock of hair behind his ear. Shit, shit, it was happening.

“I... um... I think you're an amazing person. You're nice, smart, talented, beautiful... and I.. I want you to know it. I know you're unsure, and to be honest, I am too, because of everything that has happened... but I want to try. I want to take care of you, and, um... I want to love you, Ven.”

Ven's mind took a little while to process the informations, and all he knew was that he was flustered, and speechless. He turned his head towards Terra, their eyes locking together, and a wave of emotions hit him.

Doubt, sadness, guilt, relief, delight, love.

Terra leaned in to kiss him.


	10. Resolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is, sadly, the last chapter. I hope the ending met your expectations, and I hope you enjoyed following these two during ten not-so-long chapters! As my first entire finished fanfiction, this is quite a milestone for me... But it's far from being over.  
> I hope to see you again for another work, and to hopefully make you smile, laugh, or cry again... Thank you for everything! :)

Ventus met him halfway. 

Their lips touched, and they shared a chaste kiss, Terra bringing his hand up to carefully cup Ventus' cheek. A few seconds later, they parted, only so the blonde teen could speak. 

"I want to try, too," he said quietly, his cheeks dusted pink with timidity. Even though his feelings for Terra were now clear to him, he was not sure about telling him that yet. Wouldn't that feel like rushing into things? Or a betrayal? Wait, betrayal to who? Oh, god, now he was unsure. What if he didn't say it and Terra felt bad? What if he was expecting it? What if-

The older teen smiled brightly, and swiftly leaned down to kiss him again, wrapping an arm around Ventus' waist; and the look of utter happiness on his face made Ventus' thoughts disperse as fast as they'd appeared. It didn't matter if he said it now or in a year; they both knew deep inside about their love for each other, and that was really all that mattered. Ventus slowly closed his eyes, and his lashes gently fluttered against Terra's skin, while his hand found its way to Terra's shoulder. They stayed a while there, kissing and talking, just next to the river- and before they knew it, the sky was getting dark and the temperature decreasing. Despite the heat of Terra's body, which he was leaning on while watching the sky, Ventus started feeling the cold, in just a t-shirt. He shivered, and Terra felt it. The older teen wordlessly removed his jean jacket and nudged it towards Ven, who at first politely refused it, before shivering again and putting it on. They both laughed at how 90s he looked, and then they realised that it was probably time to go home... Unfortunately. 

The walk back to Ven's apartment was quiet and peaceful. Both were enjoying each other's company, walking hand in hand and sometimes catching the other stealing a glance. They were still shy about their relationship, not really knowing what to do to not rush into things; even though as Kairi said it, they had been in love since the first glance, and not much could go wrong between the two had this point. They reached Ventus' apartment building, and both stood there for a few minutes, not wanting to part so soon. Then, Terra leaned down to kiss Ventus gently, as a goodbye, and the younger teen returned it. They parted and Ventus reluctantly walked to the door, waving one last time before disappearing in the empty hallway. 

The school year was coming to an end, and all the students were excited by the approaching Gala. Some groups were taking care of the planning of the event, others sold tickets to outside spectators, and all practiced their performance intensively, ready to make a good impression on the audience. Ventus helped a very nervous Kairi prepare her solo, while himself working hard on his group dance. It felt good to finally find a balance between school, dance and other things in life: Ven felt notably less nervous and irritated, more awake, just... Happier. His family and friends didn't fail to notice it, and they were content with seeing him smile as much as he used to. Roxas even looked a bit more cheerful, though Ventus wondered it it was because of him or his boyfr- um, I mean, friend - Axel. Sora thought the same as Ven, now that he knew what love felt like - Riku had confessed his feelings for him a few weeks earlier, and Sora had been, aside from surprised, delighted. Ven was satisfied to see his brothers so bright, but their father Cloud was, too. Although he was still quite protective, and did not show his feelings openly, he was undeniably happy about his sons' fulfilment. 

Zack was friendly with Ven, but made himself discreet, as he seemed to be a little ashamed about the wrong treatment he had inflicted to his ex. Luckily for him, the word had not run through the school, and the break up went unnoticed. Ventus was thankful for his retrieved anonymity. They were not the talk of the school anymore, and besides, from what Terra had told him, Zack was starting to have feelings for someone of his class, a smart and beautiful girl with her chestnut brown hair tied in a long braid. Apparently, she liked discretion as much as Ventus, and it helped Zack mentally to not always care about what others thought. To be honest, even though they had dated, Ventus had never really noticed that sharing every minute of his life, seeking validation, had been Zack's way to hide his low self esteem. It was actually Terra who explained that to him a few weeks after they started going out. Ventus felt bad for never seeing it; that was how good at lying Zack had become. 

Ven and Terra's relationship was timid, but true. Sure, they had the contemporary class together, but they usually did not see each other at school, even at lunchtime. It was not a rule or anything, just something that had imposed itself naturally between them, something that felt right. They did hang out at each other's place a lot, sometimes doing an improv for fun, most of the time just doing what teenagers do; homework, listening to music, watching movies, kissing. They did that a lot, when they had had a long day. They just lied in bed, arms around each other, talking quietly and exchanging kisses. Kairi called it the "disgustingly annoying cuddly couple routine", when a lovestruck Ven sat at lunch talking dreamily about the amazing time he had with his boyfriend. She would make fun of Ven's sheepish smile, poking him with her fork to wake him up. The teen himself felt like he was in a dream, a mere fantasy... And he sometimes wondered if he really was what Terra wanted. The risk of their relationship ending was still there, and of course, like any other couple, they sometimes fought over stupid things. Ventus didn't exactly have a low esteem of himself... But he sometimes got a little scared to lose someone as good as Terra. Luckily, they always somehow made up, and went back to normal, young and carefree. After all, they had time to let things happen, didn't they? 

The last day of class came, the whole school effervescent with excitement, and finally, after much anticipation, it was time for the Gala. It was an amazing experience, with firsts and lasts: an impressive first solo for Kairi, an extraordinary last solo for Zack, and a multitude of beautiful group numbers, with students more motivated than ever. Afterwards, a buffet had been organised, an occasion to exchange about the most striking performances. Ven saw Ariel and Cendrillon, both his teachers, and they gave him a thumbs up, to which he answered with a thankful smile; then, he passed by Zack and took profit of seeing him to congratulate him warmly. Finally, he joined his friends. He praised Kairi excitedly, happy to see his friend so rejoiced and radiant, while discreetly keeping an eye out for his boyfriend. Terra, since he was a senior, had been part of the closing performance, and Ventus knew that it would make him a little belated. 

The small blonde jumped slightly when he felt an arm wrap around his waist, felt a tender kiss on his temple, and heard his friends laugh with delight. He blushed profusely and smiled embarrasedly, as his boyfriend clinked glasses of orange juice with the others. Their friends knew they were dating, it was obvious by the way one always talked about the other, but they had never actually witnessed any sign of affection between the two shy teens. "About time," Ventus saw Kairi mouth maliciously. Then she winked at him, and he rolled his eyes, snuggling closer to Terra. The group continued laughing and talking together until it started getting late, and little by little, the students started leaving. Axel suggested an improvised party at his place, so the small group walked together to the flat, still chatting excitedly. Ventus and Terra were in their bubble, not really paying attention to what was being said, walking hand in hand and in peaceful silence. The rest of the group wasn't really paying attention to them as well, and it was fine for them, as they liked the privacy it allowed them to have. At some point, Terra leaned in to gently speak in Ventus' ear. 

"Okay, so if we turn right, we go with the others at Axel's place... But if we turn left... We could, I don't know, watch a movie at my house?"

Ventus laughed quietly, a soft blush budding on his cheeks. He was unsure, to be honest; he was afraid to sound clingy, or to look like he didn't care about his friends. But then again, it was Terra who had suggested it... And his big smile was just irresistible. 

They made up a stupid excuse, waved, then turned left. 

 

Later that night, as they were watching the stars, one leaning against the other, a small voice was heard.

"- I love you.  
\- I love you too."

As simple as that.


End file.
